Why Sustainable Development Jobs Are So Vital

Einstein once said, “No problem can be solved with the same kind of thinking.” This is so relevant and true to any problem we face. Are you wanting to be a better citizen? Then you have to change your thinking on what a good citizen does and is. Do you want to be a better parent? You’re going to have to get tips and tricks to change your thinking to become a better parent! So, in order to become a better traveler, a more conscience and responsible traveler, we need to change our thinking. If you would love to participate in helping create sustainable development jobs, let’s change our thinking!

We live in an adorable subdivision located in Florida. It has the typical sidewalks, the streetlamps, the neighbors who wave to each other when you’re on a walk. Compared to most of the world, this is perfection. Behind our little piece of perfection is a road where people like to rip and roar and cause all kinds of chaos. Our oldest son was in a learning and changing his thinking stage of his life. He was learning how the government works for the people and he was learning the processes involved in making things change.

Our oldest took it upon himself to write his congressman and senator and ask them to set a curfew on that road! Our kid had all hope that he could go to bed at a decent hour without disruption. This type of change is what I want to pursue. Maybe not actually changing a curfew, but teaching people HOW to be the change. I think he’s got amazing potential to help us in creating sustainable development jobs!

Sustainable travel… what is it? Responsible tourism… what does that even mean? Creating sustainable development jobs… is it really that crazy of an idea? I have no intention or lofty goal to try and attempt to explain this in totality, but if I can help change your thinking for your next vacation… that would spell success!

Tourism as it stands today favors mostly… the tourist. It currently pads the pockets of large companies and little goes back into the communities. I’m not here to bash large companies, but I am here to show alternatives to these large cruise ship vacations, all-inclusive resort packages and a “separate ourselves” from the people of the country we are visiting.

Sustainable development jobs is becoming a new concept in the midst of all the noise surrounding travel.

According to Statista, tourism is a 7.6 TRILLION-dollar business! The cruise business itself is a 35.5-billion-dollar industry. These numbers are so large! But what an opportunity to create change! An opportunity to create and develop sustainable tourism jobs! But these cruise ships that come into port, allow for tourists to come in, consume and leave. And although they do have the ability to throw money at the local people, it rarely allows them to produce much of their own products and services. Stifling creativity has the ability to be detrimental.

BUT!

Linen and Latitudes wants to allow local entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain their dignity back. Can you imagine working for someone knowing its barely going to provide for your family, but you have no other option? Can you imagine going into work but having great ideas that you want to create, build, and inspire. Knowing you want to share your part of the world with people but you’re hindered?

Instead you’re getting paid pennies on the dollar!

In our hierarchy of needs, these people may have a minor sense of stability, but what’s next on that list for them? What do they need? If they have food and water? Next they’ll need safety. If safety is met, we then move into a need to belong. Here is an aspect we want to tackle.

I’ve just barely touched on it in some of my other posts. We all need each other. We need community. We need to have opportunities to tell our story.

These people may be meeting their basic needs, but are they thriving in community? Are they able to pursue dreams and goals that give dignity and purpose to life? Some of these people we’ve already introduced to you! If we can put a face to a name it allows us to humanize a location, rather than just making it a place to fulfill only our own needs.

In the next few weeks Linen and Latitudes hopes to break down why responsible travel and sustainable development jobs is so vital to our communities, local and around the world!!

Do you have a time or a place that’s changed your thinking for the better? Something that’s reset your thinking? We would LOVE to hear about it!

Last but not least, have you signed up to receive our FREE SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL CHECKLIST? It has some pretty creative ways you can practically use on your next adventure and help with sustainable development jobs!

This is such an important discussion and one that needs to be had. We must be responsible and conscious of our behaviors everytime and especially while on the road. I love this. Such salient points. And big up to your son for being the change that the world so desperately needs.

As someone who has worked in sustainable tourism, I find it to be a bit of a double edged sword. Yes, it’s important, but right now, there’s not too much money or opportunities in this field. However, as awareness about sustainability grows, I believe that the sector will grow.

I have the perfect example to your post. I traveled in Chile at the begging of this year and when I reached Pucon, a small town at the bottom of Villarica volcano, I noticed how the locals have adopted a green lifestyle. Every hostel I stayed at recycled, all the supermarkets in town were not selling or giving away plastic bags, making the town the first plastic-bag free in the country. It was amazing!

Slowly, the scope of travel blogging will begin to switch to more narrative-based content highlighting the other instead of ourselves. Or so I hope. I think “sticking to your ground” instead of following the crowd has its way of setting a trend and I think you’re doing it 🙂